Written by: Jenna Cominsky BA, Dietetic Intern
The summers keep getting hotter, which means cooking and eating a hot meal in these record highs is probably the last thing you want to do. Don’t miss out on these refreshing summer meals packed with fresh, flavorful ingredients to help beat the summer heat.
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10mins
Total Time: 10mins
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups frozen stir-fry vegetable blend
- 1/4 cup French’s® Classic Yellow Mustard
- 1/4 cup FRANK’S RedHot Sweet Chili® Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 head Boston lettuce
Directions
- Brown chicken and garlic in large nonstick skillet. Stir in vegetables and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in mustard, sweet chili sauce, and soy sauce and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heart to low and simmer 5 minutes.
- Serve in lettuce leaves and garnish with carrots and chopped peanuts, if desired.
Gazpacho
Servings: 5
Prep Time: 15mins
Chilling Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3hrs 15mins
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Lawry’s® Coarse Ground With Parsley Garlic Salt
- 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Lawry’s® Colorful Coarse Ground Blend Seasoned Pepper
Directions
- Mix all ingredients, except seasoned pepper, in large bowl until well blended. Cover.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours or so until ready to serve.
- Serve in chilled bowls. Sprinkle with seasoned pepper to taste.
Summer Tortellini Salad
Servings: 4
Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
- 1 package Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 zucchini, cut into half-moon shapes
- 1 baby eggplant, diced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper, diced and roasted
- 1 red bell pepper, diced and roasted
- To taste: salt and black pepper
- ¾ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (optional)
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta as recommended, drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place on sheet tray to cool
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and separately roast zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil until they are lightly browned and cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- Once cool, combine pasta and roasted veggies and season with salt and pepper to taste. If not pre-made, to make balsamic glaze, reduce 1 cup of balsamic over medium heat, until the glaze can coat the back of a spoon.
Chopped Mediterranean Salad
Servings: 2-4
Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup chickpeas
- ½ small red onion, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- 2 oz ham, dived
- ¼ cup Athenos Feta Crumbles
- ½-1 cup balsamic or Greek vinaigrette
Directions
- In a large bowl, add greens in an even layer
- Top with bell pwper, chickpeas, red onion, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, parsley, ham, and feta
- Drizzle the mixture with dressing, toss, and serve
Ramen Crunch Salad
Servings: 5
Prep Time: 30mins
Ingredients:
Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1-2 chicken seasoning packets
Salad
- 2 packages Top Ramen Chicken Ramen
- ½ cup of raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup of slivered almonds
- 1 (16 oz) package of coleslaw mix
- 3 green onions, chopped
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Break up ramen noodles and spread onto a baking sheet with sunflower seeds and almonds
- Bake noodle mixture in preheated oven until fragrant and toasted, 10-15mins
- Set aside to cool to room temperature
- Combine coleslaw mix and green onions in a large bowl; sprinkle cooled noodle mixture over the top
- Make dressing: whisk olive oil, reserved ramen seasoning packets, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper together in a bowl until smooth
- Pour dressing over noodle mixture and toss to coat. Serve.